I love this thought process it makes me chuckle You didn't save 1149 You just got the equipment at a lower price You still spent a bunch of money You didn't save anything
As you mentioned Casey, the app should allow a more precise voltage for shutoff in 0.1 volt increments instead of 1volt increments. This would protect the vehicle battery from life shorting deep discharge below 12 volts. If Ecoflow would allow the unit to be adjusted to lets say 12.5 volts for example the vehicle battery would have a much longer life. Keep up your great videos 😀
Paying $600 for a charge controller with the proprietary plug that allows an Ecoflow to be charged at a reasonable rate is extortion. Ecoflow really could just tell us what input terminals will accept the more powerful DC charge. The normal limit of 10A is simply ridiculous. Even a USB-C 3.1 PD wall wart can supply more than the Ecoflow normally will accept.
Definitely cool! I see great value for that person that is an avid outdoorsman, off-roader, or overlander that doesn’t want a permanent install or to leave valuable equipment in their vehicle while at work. Personally I have 2x100AH Li house batteries and a Renogy 50A DC-DC Controller w/mppt for my Gladiator. My fridge runs 24/7 and have a 1000w inverter. It’s totally overkill, unless I start taking a microwave, hairdryer, or air fryer on trips, but cost less than most 1000w power stations on the market to assemble. The trade off for a fixed system is “dedicated adventure vehicle” vs using a gladiator as a truck to haul lumber, mulch etc. This definitely seems to bridge that gap for the 90% that use their vehicles for more than adventuring! Great video!
Just wanted to say thank for you this video. It answered a lot of my questions. As a result I bought a ecoflow delta 2 with the alternator charger since they had a $600 off sale for the pair for Father's day (also came with a 100W solar panel) and I used your code. Hope this helps you. I have a 2003 Ford E350 Amulance that I converted to a campervan. I have the same issue with the battery dying after sitting for too long. I originally use a 500W Jackery that does not have nearly this many options and charges super slow. Excited to start using this new system!
You explained this system better than Ecoflow! I'm glad Ecoflow came out with this system. I like this idea better than solar panels or the Smart Generator!
I'm glad someone reviewed this and EcoFlow had some killer bundles with a Delta 2 or Delta 2 max where you get this for almost free. Pecron offers a nice alternative ($134) that is 500 watt and works with any power station as the output is via MC4 connectors so it goes into the solar input (only power stations with a solar input voltage up to 60 VDC) of most brands (Except Jackery unless you have an MC4 to funky Jackery barrel connector adapter).
@@markbergman2342 I got mine. The only real setting is a rotary switch that determines when it will send power to your power station. By default it is set to [0] which is 12 to 30 volts. I set mine to [4], which is 13.5V to 17V to ensure that the car battery is never discharged by accident. The biggest difference is that the Eco Flow one is bi-directional and can recharge the car battery which is something the Pecron doesn't do. The Eco Flow is also more efficient. By itself, the Eco Flow one is quite steep, it's almost free with some of the Eco Flow promotions going on the the Delta 2 and Delta 2 Pro.
Great video. Though this is not a game changer, just a improvement (Ecoflow product only) on using an converter from your alternator. Victron has a few DC2DC CONVERTER options which also works. Pecron has a cheaper option (though only 500W) it can be used on all power stations.
I have a DC to DC charger and they absolutely do not operate like this. I'm amazed people with DC to DC chargers are not able to see the difference. This is a game changer but only the start of changes to come in the near future.
@Irideonandon I said DC converter there's a difference. You're correct though looking forward to a generic plug in product with these functions that can charge any power station.
Great video. Convinced me to upgrade my Ecoflow setup in my jeep. Thanks for the discount code. With Ecoflow sale and your code it was a deal I couldn’t pass up!👍
I'm not paying 600 dollars for a proprietary Ecoflow only ac charger. I'm not into the Ecoflow eco system. I have a mix of Bluetti, Segway, and Jackery. Thank God Pecron makes one for everyone. 😂 It's only 134.00 after a special coupon. Reverse charging is not needed when you'll never use it. Just carry a Lithium battery jump starter. The trickle charging feature is a gimmick. You're draining the power station unless it's hooked up to solar. If it happens during the night? 😮😂 If you lose the unlock clip. You can use ring pliers
I ordered the Pecron model. Should get here any day now. Ordered on the 10th. It does charge at a slower rate though. 400 watt or so. I will be using mine to charge my … drum roll … EcoFlow delta from a separate lithium battery. That increases my capacity by 1280 watt. And since my old model Delta only charges at 400 watt anyway, it’s a perfect match.
Those inverters have losses you have to consider as well. The EcoFlow is dc-dc. At the 239 prime day deal, it’s a steal. If you aren’t using other EcoFlow gear, it’s probably not very useful though.
As others have stated, your battery shouldn't be at 12v while the car is running. The battery should be at ~14v while charging. If its less then that it's very depleted and that's not healthy for it. Also, dual battery systems aren't only about capacity. They're also about amperage, which for some power hungry winches are a necessity. You won't get that with an Ecoflow as your secondary battery.
DIY install with components (can be made portable) costs half the price. THose who don't have the skills, sure these products are good ideal but otherwise their not economical nor are they serviceable. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
This going to be my setup when I finally get everything in. It’s on order. The alternator charger, delta pro 3, when at home… I always plug into “shore” power. I will put the charger into battery maintenance mode. The ac power will recharge my ecoflow and simultaneously keep my fridge running, and trickle charge my starter battery. I have an engine block heater that only pulls 500 watts, the fridge only pulls 100 watts when running on 12v, and the battery maintenance only pulls 100 watts. So when plugged into shore power in the winter. It will provide power to all the items, and still charge at 800 watts! Of course the alternator charger will run the fridge, and charge the ecoflow. No need for block heater or battery Maintenance. In the cold cold winter time. Running errands going to the movie. The ecoflow will have enough power to run battery maintenance and the engine block heater for a couple of hours. When I’m back to the vehicle it can go back to charging the ecoflow!
I have a Bluetti AC200max and the ecoflow Delta 2max. I use a small cheap pure sine wave 12volt dc/120 volt AC inverter to connect to vehicle battery. This way I can use 900 watt pv input and Bluetti charging brick to charge the Bluetti. Then I plug my delta2 max into 120 volt AC outlet on AC 200max which charges my delta at around 1600 watts in a little over 1 hour. The beauty is I can now have 1900 watts of PV (solar) input to both units at same time . Using both PV inputs, on sunny days, I can charge both units in about 2 hours to full power with 4 solar panels at 450 watts each. Also, I can now use the Bluetti to power everything but Air conditioning and run portable AC or my Ecoflow wave off the Delta 2 max. You can do this with any brand solar battery/inverter unit.
I run an ecoflow with smart battery (4kw+). Maybe, I’m missing something but I just use a small compact Honda 3000W (EU3200) generator and it charges them around 2000Watts into the batteries. Generally, less than 2 hours, and I’m good for 2 to 4 more days. It uses so little Gas, it can’t be more than a $1 or more to charge. Super cheap, easy, and fast. The generator is so narrow it fits on the floor between my rear seat, back of by truck in the corner, or in a cubby in a trailer.
@@joeblow1942 It is never a good idea to run LiPo batteries to zero (0). Sometimes as low as 10 percent sometimes as high as 20 percent …. But yes, about 2 hours plus, sometimes less. The main thing is that they are extremely fast to charge and the ratio of use is about 2 hours of gas generator charging, if we have had ZERO sun; that equates to 2 to 3 days of use which includes multiple microwaves (2 to 4 min each run) Morning and night, multi coffee (KRUPS), theater HomePods (4) speakers running on 110V. with 110V 4K monitor playing up a 4K movie usually a max of one movie at night, lights on… IF there is sun, then I only need 400 Watts on the roof for 5 to 6 hours, March to October, that is and never touch the small Honda EU3000IS generator.
@@dubious6718 More fuel? the EU3200I has a small tank and can run 5 to 8 hours way more efficiently/faster than a huge car engine, sucking far more fuel , adding vehicle hours, at best producing maybe only 1/3 (66 percent more charging time required) the wattage with modifications compared to the small generator. That means you spend significantly more fuel, significantly more time charging, which if you are not driving means your car sits and runs for hours with that large engine to charge those Ecoflow Batteries for much longer. Just a gallon or so in that Honda, means you could charge (2) Ecoflow batteries up to 4 Times giving 8 to 12 days of total time on your Ecoflow. You would run out of food in a car before that. IT’s very light weight , easy to pick up with one arm, and small. It fits on the floor between front seat and the rear seat in trucks or even new Bronco.
Best video on TH-cam on how to charge the Delta 2. I just bought two of these yesterday for home power outages. Didn’t know how I was going to charge them during outage. With this I can charge one while I use the other. I have a 2019 Jeep Cherokee with a 180 watt alternator. Does that sound like it would work? Sorry I’m in my 70’s and my mind is slowing down. So can I just let my Jeep idle while it charges or do I have to drive?
I already got one of these, It works fine. Now, I just need to figure out how to run the cables, through my cars firewall so I can charge whilst I'm driving. There are limited pass throughs and now sure of the insurance implications of breaching a firewall.
Guys I'm going to say this because I'm sure Casey probably cant....With a $150 dollar 1000 watt pure sign wave inverter added to your Jeep you can charge any power station at 1000 watts instead of just 800 watts for 599.00....Sorry but they lost me on this when I saw it was 599.00 EDIT: After watching the full video, Thanks for putting this out for everyone to see. I have the Delta 2Max and the wave 2 love them both. I wish they would add a remote switch or wire so you can turn it on or off with a switch pod or just a mechanical switch that would easily solve the power drain problem. Also I believe you can use the DC to DC cord to charge the Wave 2's battery....Eco flow sells a kit with it all together-- wave 2, the add on battery and the charger, it would be a shame if they didn't work together. I dont believe you can run the AC and charge at the same time... I just ordered the $130.00 Cable to run my wave 2 off the Delta max from DC....If I cant do that I'll be sending EVERYTHING back ...surely they had the foresight for that. Anyway thanks for the content you're one of my favorite channels!!!
@joeblow1942 600 dollars for reverse and trickle charging? Why don't you carry a brick sized jump starter instead of depleting the power station? If you're at home, why would you leave the power station on for days and weeks at a time just to trickle charge the battery? How are you charging the power station a while depleting it? Just use a regular trickle charger or solar controller on your jeep.
Also consider when running the alternator charger, vehicle alternators do not put full charge at idle so to get the full 800 watt output, you need to rev up the rpm,s a little, and the last truck I had with a throttle cable was a 68 Dodge Power Wagon…..cut a stick I guess….
Thank you for the video, my question is: if I use a battery for a solar panels system,(not an vehicle battery),I can use this two devices to have electrical power, and at the same time recharge the battery?
Daygreen has many of these dc to dc step up chargers for significantly less money. And they work with any power station as kong as the voltage for the mppt controller is compatible.
I’ve been using the broncos inverter to keep my glacier charged. When I bring my Anker 757 into the vehicle I move that xt60 connector to solar port on the Anker and run a usb-c cable to the glacier. This is way more efficient. I noticed the alternator charge had two outputs and one input. What’s the difference between the outputs? It would be nice they provide an xt150 to xt60 cable
Great video! As a retired mechanic, I see some potential issues. Vehicle alternators are designed to keep the vehicle battery topped up, but can handle some high charge situations for short periods of time. When you hooked up the eco flow battery cables in parallel you essentially now have a dual battery system. The alternator can’t tell the difference between the batteries, thus it will charge the batteries up until fully charged. When this is happening, the vehicle battery is also receiving the high charge thus producing the negative effect of too much heat for the vehicle batteries and alternator. Over the years I have changed dozens of vehicle alternators and batteries due to having one battery being charged up too often , the fix was one alternator and 2 batteries, ouch! Hopefully ecoflow has some sort of setting that would prevent this, otherwise the risk is too high and expensive if you are going to charge through ecoflow from a low state of charge. Can anyone address this ?
There are much better DC-DC chargers in the market than what's reviewed here. For example, both Renogy and Victron have chargers with hardwired voltage sensing options--that is, as soon you turn off the engine, the unit automatically turns off. Renogy units even have current limiting and turn-off options when the engine is on. It seems to me, the Ecoflow is a bit behind given this is their first DC-DC charger.
@@ozmanfidaar6311this isn’t a regular DCDC charger. It is 12V to 40-60V so it can charge the Ecoflow. Quite different than a regular DCDC application. Also it is about 65A at 12V output which is higher than any regular DCDC chargers which are normally 25-40A. Renogy has a 60A. You can’t use a regular DCDC without a voltage converter.
It is potentially an issue to draw this much 65A current continuously from an alternator for several hours. I think that is why most DCDC units are lower output. Even the units get hot and this one is smaller than a Redarc, Renogy, Victron or CTEK however this outputs higher voltage 40/60V and lower current which would help with sizing and heat.
Could the six gauge wire be cut to add Anderson connectors if I use this with a pick up truck and a truck camper so I could disconnect it when I take the camper off?
@@Casey250. I would not necessarily be shortening them because the Ecoflow and charger would be in the truck camper. It would just be a way to be able to disconnect when i take the camper off the truck.
@user-jo4lr8it6p When you order your Anderson connector you can order the correct size contact to go with your wire size. Then 50 amp connectors can be ordered with up to a size 6 AWG contact. The 75 connectors can use 4 AWG contacts. Just double check which connectors work with which contacts. The different color connectors only work with the same color on both ends except for grey and black. Double check that also. Also be careful that the connector description actually says made by Anderson brand because there are lots of connectors that look the same but are not Anderson and may allude to being Anderson..
Car battery system is 12V does not mean you can discharge it all the way up to 12V! it will potentially damage the battery and next time you will try to start the engine it wont start. you will end up having a flat battery. you should never go below 12.6 if its lead acid for other batteries check the specs. Keep it up, Cheers!
Hi. Thank you! How did you run the wire from the vehicle battery to the alternator? I have a 2015 manual JKU and the wire isn't going through the firewall grummet on the passenger side.... and the driver's side one is full.
Do you think this charger will increase wear on my alternator? Should I upgrade my alternator or limit my use of the charger to protect my alternator? Or do you think I can run this thing as much as I want with no consequences down the road? Thanks.
Flow offers bundles for the wave. Some of those bundles offer the extra battery and alternator charger together. It appears they are saying the charger can charge the extra battery on the wave. Even if some manual they offer says it can’t do this.
@@Casey250 I think it probably does. Last week it offered the bundle, and said the alternator charger would ship at a later date. Today it offers the bundle and does not mention the charger shipping at a later date. It seems likely they have the update and have not sent it out yet.
The EcoFlow alternator charger is good. Downside: only works with EcoFlow. Expensive. Positive: interesting app features to fine tune the charging. Highest charge rate. Risk: double check your alternator specs. You don’t want to draw too many amps from it. My sailboat only has a 60amp alternator
Does the unit itself have a display and can i engage with all the settings? I ask bc, despite all their wonderfulness, i just don't do phones nor apps. Thanks
@@Casey250 well that's disheartening. Actually i'm new at all of this. idk which power station i need actually. Is Ecoflow the b*omb or are what are some other big brands i can look at? Got a handy beginners video? Thanks
I like you have had issues seeing the full 800 w charging. I have a 180amp alternator so not sure if that has anything to do with it, but it should be able to put out 60amp with no issues. I as well have a delta 2 Max with the extra battery and at most I get about 530w. I had previously connected up my battery to a 20 amp dc/dc converter and was able to get 430w via the xt-60i port. I'm a little disappointed I'm not getting more. My alternator is capable of outputting 14.8 volts. Idle amperage is 120. When I run without the Ecoflow charger My battery is outputting 14.3 consistently. I tried changing the Alternator Charger to 12v and now I get an over charge error so I have to set it at 13v for the unit to work. I guess I need to call Ecoflow.
Question I don't see the Delta Max battery listed as compatible, only the Delta 2 Max, can you confirm if the Delta Max battery is compatible since it has the correct connector?
vast majority of vehicle alternators (unless HO or dual like on an ambulance, etc) are not designed to charge high cap house batts like this. they're designed to "top-off" your starting battery and maintain the small currents for the vehicle's electrical draw while running. also not at all "normal" for your starter batt to be drained down like yours is; you are greatly reducing the life of you battery when that happens.
Thanks for the review; I have been thinking about purchasing one of these for my Toyota Tacoma here in Alaska. I noted that you mentioned the operating temperature to be limited at -20° C. You are the first reviewer to mention these operational limitations. The winters here regularly get way below -4° F/-20° C.. So I’m guessing this is not a great fit for Northern climates?
The best thing is. If you have a delta pro. You can hook up the ev charging port to the pro. And install the 4xE cowel. And then charge your pro at any ev charger like a 4xE. As well as using this alternator charger.
I wish this device came out three months ago as that’s when I bought everything using the Victron DC/DC 12/24 volt converter for my EcoFlow Delta 2 Max
At least the Victron will work with non ecoflow units.. in my opinion, the ecoflow price premium on this is pretty ridiculous considering that all it really brings to the table is higher wattage (~800W vs ~500W) and reverse-charging.
Yes, but at 800 watts it would take 6 hours to charge just the battery. Your vehicle could overheat and may use a lot of fuel. If you want reasonable fast charging use the ecoflow dual fuel smart generator. Then when your delta gets low it will automatically cycle on keeping your max at full charge. Then the alternator charger can be used to charge your 460 watt battery, a little slower, but much less expensive per charge.
This the third review I’ve seen on this Charger and we are all saying the same thing… a software update is needed for 0.1 interval would be nice. 11.xx to 12.01, 12.02, 12.03,,,
I have several EcoFlow devices but have had issues with them. And reporting the issues to EcoFlow was a non-plus situation. I was told to hold the power button in the off position for 15 seconds then restart to see if that resolved the issue. Problem is I rely on this particular unit to power my lift chair and can no longer rely on it as it has quit several times for no reason. I merely disconnected it and will only use it when there is no other source of power. I can no longer have devices connected all the time while the unit is plugged into grid. What a shame. I had high hopes for EcoFlow, however I've been disappointed. When the unit fails, I cannot get out of my lift chair to plug the chair into grid power and am stuck in the chair. I must phone someone to come and make the changes. EcoFlow didn't seem to be helpful or even concerned that their equipment failed. For me, EcoFlow is not a brand I can recommend any longer. This video reminds me of the way you are handled when you contact them. The channel owner was left without answers and trailed off the video with uncertainty. This is much the way I came to view their products.
You guys do know you can buy a dc to dc charger for a lot less? Hell, you could even run a positive and negative cable and an isolator switch from your chassis battery to the back with an Anderson connector. That would still be less than this proprietary thing.
Quite a few companies sell DC-DC in various configurations, as well as some that will also charge from a solar panel. Not quite an earth shattering device. A generic one will work with any backup battery, smart and regular alternator, etc.
This is better value. PECRON 500W Car Charger DC1242-500 for Cars, RVs, Trucks, etc. $149 Not as fast charging as the ecoflow. There a few videos on YT for this. Pity it is not yet available in Australia.
Good review however 11 volts is too low for a flooded AGM battery in just a day it will reduce to critical levels. Also it’s not an alternator charger it’s a battery charger , it has no control of the alternator.. Also if you have a stock alternator charging at full 800 watts with your air and lights on is going to take the alternator out in just months.
The problem is…… you may need both batteries of a dual battery system between the times you can start your engine and charge the batteries. While some of the ecoflow systems have the capability of two battery terminals. The delta 3 max only has one. So it’s either the charger or the battery not both
Yes, but limited to 500 watt PV input on each xt60i inputs (max has 2). A lot of people forget that the delta2 max has a huge advantage with 2- 500watt PV inputs. You can use 1 with solar and 1 plugged in to 12 volt source.
Most LFP portable power systems wont charge off a modified sine wave inverter. I don't know every vehicle out there, but in Jeep's that is the problem.
@@nancydavies336 Ok I have bought several power stations and solar panels from them never had any problems. I had a damaged power station by fed ex's delivery idiot. I returned it to pecron and they sent me a new one. No charge to me they paid everything to ship back just like there warranty says.
@@Casey250 I plan on connecting the chargers to LFP batts instead of to a car to increase capacity. Have you tried connecting the charger + an expansion battery to the Delta 2 max? Just wondering if both XT150 battery ports can be used simultaneously. Thanks
Casey, lets see a install. You have a smart charging battery system...lets see where you are going to put the negative cable? I not saying anything but this should be interesting! Also do you have the standard alternator or the beefy alternator?
So I just bought the Wave 2 with the battery and the alternator charger as a package and the alternator charger doesn’t work with the Wave 2 battery? That’s pretty much false advertising in my book. Once they actually send me the alternator charger it looks like I’ll be sending it all back. I don’t have a Delta and don’t have room in my Jeep for one of I want to take the Wave 2. Without the alternator charger the Wave 2 is not going to work for multi-day trips, which was why I bought the package in the first place. I have a River 2 Pro, but it looks like it won’t charge it either. Pretty crummy EcoFlow!
I would love for Casey to follow up on this and confirm, it does seem really weird that Ecoflow would sell it as a bundle if they don’t work together. They even advertise it as “1 hour of driving gives 5 hours of cooling”. Casey please test this if possible or contact Ecoflow for further explanation. Thanks!
I dont believe you have anything to worry about. I think where he got mixed up was trying to "run" direct from the charger. you cant run the AC and charge at the same time👍🏽
@casey250 - did you hear back from EcoFlow on why the charger wasn’t putting out the full 800 watts the following morning/day? (I went through the comments here looking for that, but didn’t find a post from you about it. Could have missed it.)
They said to ground it to the chassis not batter negative. I did that for the final install on the Demonator and it's been charging at 800w no problem.
@@Casey250 oh, interesting! Glad I asked. Doing my install tomorrow and the instructions make both suggestions- body or battery. Body it is! Appreciate the help, Casey! Thank you. 🙏🙏
My guess is that the ground was not the issue, but rather this was: When he first started the next morning, his chassis battery was significantly depleted. If it continued to charge overnight til it got below 12v before shutting off, YES there would be enough juice to start the engine but it WOULD still be WAY below a full charge. So for a while when running the next morning, the alternator would be pumping heavy juice into the chassis battery, and not have enough uumph left to reach 800w on the EcoFlow. Drive for a while and as the chassis battery recovers, and then if alternator is still up to it, the EcoFlow would then get up to 800w. I don't know what level of depletion for the chassis battery is "safe" for repeated use. But as some other comments in here have said, repeatedly depleting the chassis battery to an unsafe level will kill it prematurely. Also, running the alternator to its peak max for extended periods will kill the alternator prematurely. BOTH problems could be eliminated if the EcoFlow unit could be set to allow tenths in the voltage. Somewhere around 12.5 or 12.6 should be just about right. It will vary some with different batteries and systems, and with the same battery as it ages. For this device to work correctly if using that feature, one really needs to be able to change it as needed, and bump it within tenths of a volt.
@@Casey250 I suspect the problem in that case was not the grounding, but rather how depleted the chassis battery was when you first started the next morning. See what I just said to DuaneForrester. I had FLA House batteries in my RV for a while. Whenever I had over-depleted them during the night, then the next day none of my LFP batteries (including two EcoFlow devices, a Glacier and a River power station) would charge for a while as we drove down the road. The FLA batteries were being replenished, and after an hour or so of driving -- more if we had depleted more of the house batteries capacity -- then it would gradually start adding more charge to the LFP batteries. Just my experience, but it could have been that same situation for you. Especially if now you normally are seeing the 800w again, which you would when your chassis battery is not over-depleted most of the time.
You still can't charge from solar and alternator at the same, and if something brakes then you're out of luck until you can get the whole thing repaired or replaced.
Once you have to install something like this alternator charger you are basically there with a dual battery system. So not quite sure what the main advantage is.
Depends on the vehicle and what your charge rate is. If I'm charging the Ecoflow off my alternator at 14v, 300w, that means I'm pulling around ~20amps. If your vehicle has a smaller alternator like mine (05 GMC canyon with 100amp alternator). That means I'm using almost 1/4 the alternators capability. With the increased strain on the alternator, you will experience faster wear and could shorten the lifespan. I plan on upgrading to a 200-300amp to reduce the stress on the alternator and increase reliability.
It connects to a Delta series power station using the XT90 connector. It cant connect to a River 2 series because they use an XT60 connector. I'm not sure if the Wave2 has a XT90 connector.
Is there a video that can teach me how to route the cable from the car battery to inside the vehicle so I can charge my power station while I’m driving?
That's going to be so far dependant. If look for a video of routing wiring for maybe a stereo amp for your vehicle. For a jeep I'd go down the frame rail and up the drain plug in the passenger footwell.
As of the date of my reply, there are now multiple videos with details about this charger, and at least two of them show the routing of the wiring from battery through a grommet in the firewall, under the door frame (down by the carpet) to the back of the vehicle.
Im curious as to why your poeer station was at 42% at night and then 8% in the morning? Thats a big loss. Is that deviçe sucking juice out of your ecoflow? Im confused here
Cool, but not ~$600 cool - pretty outrageous, actually. This feels like unnecessary proprietary lock-in. The main thing this offers over one of the numerous DC to DC options in the $70-200 range is reverse charging. Victron sells a $130-150 12 to 24V DC to DC converter that can get you 400-500W of charging on a Delta 2.. and it'll work with essentially anything that has a solar charge controller onboard.. at a fraction of the price.
I am not happy with my ecoflows - they have had their fair issues that ended in RMAs for me… some simple (non-chinese) battery for around half price hasn’t got any features or app connection but hasn’t broken yet… subjective I know, but objectively happened to me
I’m upset that when I have my delta 2 battery dc cable hooked up to its extra battery there is no way to attach a dc cable to the wave 2 for more efficient running you must use the ac connection. Ecoflow can’t think of everything I guess.
EcoFlow just needs to have a trigger wire that you connect to a power source that is only on with your cars accessories. That way it will know when the engine is off and stop charging. Most DCDC Chargers do that now….
Question. I have a delta2 and I’m interested in this for my rig is it possible to hook up the delta 2 extension battery and use this in conjunction? I can’t find anything on line. Thanks!
You can hook 1 expansion battery and the alternator charge at the same time. The Delta 2 has 2 expansion ports available. If your using 2 expansion batteries, you couldn't use the alternator charger.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
We just picked up the delta 2 max, an extra battery and the 800w alternator charger on a great Mother’s Day deal. Saved $1149.
I love this thought process it makes me chuckle You didn't save 1149 You just got the equipment at a lower price You still spent a bunch of money You didn't save anything
@@joshbrown284 You are a bundle of joy, aren't you.
@@joshbrown284 I love jealous comments.
As you mentioned Casey, the app should allow a more precise voltage for shutoff in 0.1 volt increments instead of 1volt increments. This would protect the vehicle battery from life shorting deep discharge below 12 volts. If Ecoflow would allow the unit to be adjusted to lets say 12.5 volts for example the vehicle battery would have a much longer life. Keep up your great videos 😀
Paying $600 for a charge controller with the proprietary plug that allows an Ecoflow to be charged at a reasonable rate is extortion. Ecoflow really could just tell us what input terminals will accept the more powerful DC charge. The normal limit of 10A is simply ridiculous. Even a USB-C 3.1 PD wall wart can supply more than the Ecoflow normally will accept.
Definitely cool! I see great value for that person that is an avid outdoorsman, off-roader, or overlander that doesn’t want a permanent install or to leave valuable equipment in their vehicle while at work. Personally I have 2x100AH Li house batteries and a Renogy 50A DC-DC Controller w/mppt for my Gladiator. My fridge runs 24/7 and have a 1000w inverter. It’s totally overkill, unless I start taking a microwave, hairdryer, or air fryer on trips, but cost less than most 1000w power stations on the market to assemble. The trade off for a fixed system is “dedicated adventure vehicle” vs using a gladiator as a truck to haul lumber, mulch etc. This definitely seems to bridge that gap for the 90% that use their vehicles for more than adventuring! Great video!
Just wanted to say thank for you this video. It answered a lot of my questions. As a result I bought a ecoflow delta 2 with the alternator charger since they had a $600 off sale for the pair for Father's day (also came with a 100W solar panel) and I used your code. Hope this helps you.
I have a 2003 Ford E350 Amulance that I converted to a campervan. I have the same issue with the battery dying after sitting for too long. I originally use a 500W Jackery that does not have nearly this many options and charges super slow. Excited to start using this new system!
You explained this system better than Ecoflow! I'm glad Ecoflow came out with this system. I like this idea better than solar panels or the Smart Generator!
Thanks!!
I'm glad someone reviewed this and EcoFlow had some killer bundles with a Delta 2 or Delta 2 max where you get this for almost free. Pecron offers a nice alternative ($134) that is 500 watt and works with any power station as the output is via MC4 connectors so it goes into the solar input (only power stations with a solar input voltage up to 60 VDC) of most brands (Except Jackery unless you have an MC4 to funky Jackery barrel connector adapter).
do you have more details of that Pecron DCDC?
@@markbergman2342 I got mine. The only real setting is a rotary switch that determines when it will send power to your power station. By default it is set to [0] which is 12 to 30 volts. I set mine to [4], which is 13.5V to 17V to ensure that the car battery is never discharged by accident. The biggest difference is that the Eco Flow one is bi-directional and can recharge the car battery which is something the Pecron doesn't do. The Eco Flow is also more efficient. By itself, the Eco Flow one is quite steep, it's almost free with some of the Eco Flow promotions going on the the Delta 2 and Delta 2 Pro.
Great video. Though this is not a game changer, just a improvement (Ecoflow product only) on using an converter from your alternator. Victron has a few DC2DC CONVERTER options which also works. Pecron has a cheaper option (though only 500W) it can be used on all power stations.
I have a DC to DC charger and they absolutely do not operate like this. I'm amazed people with DC to DC chargers are not able to see the difference. This is a game changer but only the start of changes to come in the near future.
@Irideonandon I said DC converter there's a difference. You're correct though looking forward to a generic plug in product with these functions that can charge any power station.
Great video.
Convinced me to upgrade my Ecoflow setup in my jeep. Thanks for the discount code. With Ecoflow sale and your code it was a deal I couldn’t pass up!👍
I'm not paying 600 dollars for a proprietary Ecoflow only ac charger.
I'm not into the Ecoflow eco system.
I have a mix of Bluetti, Segway, and Jackery.
Thank God Pecron makes one for everyone. 😂 It's only 134.00 after a special coupon.
Reverse charging is not needed when you'll never use it.
Just carry a Lithium battery jump starter. The trickle charging feature is a gimmick. You're draining the power station unless it's hooked up to solar. If it happens during the night? 😮😂
If you lose the unlock clip.
You can use ring pliers
I ordered the Pecron model. Should get here any day now. Ordered on the 10th.
It does charge at a slower rate though. 400 watt or so. I will be using mine to charge my … drum roll … EcoFlow delta from a separate lithium battery. That increases my capacity by 1280 watt. And since my old model Delta only charges at 400 watt anyway, it’s a perfect match.
Victron also have a few solutions to charge them with 400 wattts....
Those inverters have losses you have to consider as well. The EcoFlow is dc-dc. At the 239 prime day deal, it’s a steal. If you aren’t using other EcoFlow gear, it’s probably not very useful though.
I got lucky and ordered it for $399! I can’t wait for it to come in🤘
Update?
I just paid $216
@@lonniebeal2445 where?
@@lonniebeal2445from where? I’d love that price
Where
As others have stated, your battery shouldn't be at 12v while the car is running. The battery should be at ~14v while charging. If its less then that it's very depleted and that's not healthy for it. Also, dual battery systems aren't only about capacity. They're also about amperage, which for some power hungry winches are a necessity. You won't get that with an Ecoflow as your secondary battery.
DIY install with components (can be made portable) costs half the price. THose who don't have the skills, sure these products are good ideal but otherwise their not economical nor are they serviceable. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
This going to be my setup when I finally get everything in. It’s on order.
The alternator charger, delta pro 3, when at home… I always plug into “shore” power. I will put the charger into battery maintenance mode. The ac power will recharge my ecoflow and simultaneously keep my fridge running, and trickle charge my starter battery. I have an engine block heater that only pulls 500 watts, the fridge only pulls 100 watts when running on 12v, and the battery maintenance only pulls 100 watts. So when plugged into shore power in the winter. It will provide power to all the items, and still charge at 800 watts!
Of course the alternator charger will run the fridge, and charge the ecoflow. No need for block heater or battery Maintenance. In the cold cold winter time. Running errands going to the movie. The ecoflow will have enough power to run battery maintenance and the engine block heater for a couple of hours. When I’m back to the vehicle it can go back to charging the ecoflow!
Thats slick. That was kind of what I was thinking for my Jeep as it doesn't get driven that often.
I have a Bluetti AC200max and the ecoflow Delta 2max. I use a small cheap pure sine wave 12volt dc/120 volt AC inverter to connect to vehicle battery. This way I can use 900 watt pv input and Bluetti charging brick to charge the Bluetti. Then I plug my delta2 max into 120 volt AC outlet on AC 200max which charges my delta at around 1600 watts in a little over 1 hour. The beauty is I can now have 1900 watts of PV (solar) input to both units at same time . Using both PV inputs, on sunny days, I can charge both units in about 2 hours to full power with 4 solar panels at 450 watts each. Also, I can now use the Bluetti to power everything but Air conditioning and run portable AC or my Ecoflow wave off the Delta 2 max. You can do this with any brand solar battery/inverter unit.
how hot did the unit get while max charging (in either direction)? Likely needs open air flow when mounting?
I run an ecoflow with smart battery (4kw+). Maybe, I’m missing something but I just use a small compact Honda 3000W (EU3200) generator and it charges them around 2000Watts into the batteries. Generally, less than 2 hours, and I’m good for 2 to 4 more days. It uses so little Gas, it can’t be more than a $1 or more to charge. Super cheap, easy, and fast. The generator is so narrow it fits on the floor between my rear seat, back of by truck in the corner, or in a cubby in a trailer.
Is it the Delta 2 Max that you have? Are you saying you can charge the Delta and expansion battery from 0 to 100% in only two hours?
@@joeblow1942 It is never a good idea to run LiPo batteries to zero (0). Sometimes as low as 10 percent sometimes as high as 20 percent …. But yes, about 2 hours plus, sometimes less. The main thing is that they are extremely fast to charge and the ratio of use is about 2 hours of gas generator charging, if we have had ZERO sun; that equates to 2 to 3 days of use which includes multiple microwaves (2 to 4 min each run) Morning and night, multi coffee (KRUPS), theater HomePods (4) speakers running on 110V. with 110V 4K monitor playing up a 4K movie usually a max of one movie at night, lights on… IF there is sun, then I only need 400 Watts on the roof for 5 to 6 hours, March to October, that is and never touch the small Honda EU3000IS generator.
Cost more than this, weighs more and takes up more space. You also have to carry fuel.
@@dubious6718 More fuel? the EU3200I has a small tank and can run 5 to 8 hours way more efficiently/faster than a huge car engine, sucking far more fuel , adding vehicle hours, at best producing maybe only 1/3 (66 percent more charging time required) the wattage with modifications compared to the small generator. That means you spend significantly more fuel, significantly more time charging, which if you are not driving means your car sits and runs for hours with that large engine to charge those Ecoflow Batteries for much longer. Just a gallon or so in that Honda, means you could charge (2) Ecoflow batteries up to 4 Times giving 8 to 12 days of total time on your Ecoflow. You would run out of food in a car before that. IT’s very light weight , easy to pick up with one arm, and small. It fits on the floor between front seat and the rear seat in trucks or even new Bronco.
@@parkcitymacs And is it the Delta 2 Max that you have?
Best video on TH-cam on how to charge the Delta 2. I just bought two of these yesterday for home power outages. Didn’t know how I was going to charge them during outage. With this I can charge one while I use the other. I have a 2019 Jeep Cherokee with a 180 watt alternator. Does that sound like it would work? Sorry I’m in my 70’s and my mind is slowing down.
So can I just let my Jeep idle while it charges or do I have to drive?
I already got one of these, It works fine. Now, I just need to figure out how to run the cables, through my cars firewall so I can charge whilst I'm driving. There are limited pass throughs and now sure of the insurance implications of breaching a firewall.
Guys I'm going to say this because I'm sure Casey probably cant....With a $150 dollar 1000 watt pure sign wave inverter added to your Jeep you can charge any power station at 1000 watts instead of just 800 watts for 599.00....Sorry but they lost me on this when I saw it was 599.00
EDIT: After watching the full video, Thanks for putting this out for everyone to see. I have the Delta 2Max and the wave 2 love them both. I wish they would add a remote switch or wire so you can turn it on or off with a switch pod or just a mechanical switch that would easily solve the power drain problem. Also I believe you can use the DC to DC cord to charge the Wave 2's battery....Eco flow sells a kit with it all together-- wave 2, the add on battery and the charger, it would be a shame if they didn't work together. I dont believe you can run the AC and charge at the same time... I just ordered the $130.00 Cable to run my wave 2 off the Delta max from DC....If I cant do that I'll be sending EVERYTHING back ...surely they had the foresight for that. Anyway thanks for the content you're one of my favorite channels!!!
Have look at this. I went the inverter route before this was available. PECRON 500W Car Charger DC1242-500 for Cars, RVs, Trucks, etc.
Pecron makes a 500 watt alternator charger for 149. New for 2024.
Very simply made. No fancy Bluetooth and wifi.
Well, I guess the thing being able to reverse charge and trickle charge makes it worthwhile.
Also, I couldn’t charge my Delta 1300 using the inverter method you described. Don’t remember now why it wouldn’t work though.
@joeblow1942
600 dollars for reverse and trickle charging?
Why don't you carry a brick sized jump starter instead of depleting the power station?
If you're at home, why would you leave the power station on for days and weeks at a time just to trickle charge the battery?
How are you charging the power station a while depleting it?
Just use a regular trickle charger or solar controller on your jeep.
Curious what the starting battery’s actual voltage is when you set it to 12V or 13V. You don’t want your starting battery to sit below 12..6-12.8V.
Also consider when running the alternator charger, vehicle alternators do not put full charge at idle so to get the full 800 watt output, you need to rev up the rpm,s a little, and the last truck I had with a throttle cable was a 68 Dodge Power Wagon…..cut a stick I guess….
Casey you are very Helpful with the eco flo alternator generator, i just got mine today and i an having a hard time making it work .
Thank you for the video, my question is: if I use a battery for a solar panels system,(not an vehicle battery),I can use this two devices to have electrical power, and at the same time recharge the battery?
Yes
Daygreen has many of these dc to dc step up chargers for significantly less money. And they work with any power station as kong as the voltage for the mppt controller is compatible.
Do these alternator chargers work on all EcoFlow or just the Delta 2?
The Delta 2's with expansion ports.
I’ve been using the broncos inverter to keep my glacier charged. When I bring my Anker 757 into the vehicle I move that xt60 connector to solar port on the Anker and run a usb-c cable to the glacier. This is way more efficient. I noticed the alternator charge had two outputs and one input. What’s the difference between the outputs? It would be nice they provide an xt150 to xt60 cable
Only 1 output. Theres a comms port rj45.
Great video! As a retired mechanic, I see some potential issues. Vehicle alternators are designed to keep the vehicle battery topped up, but can handle some high charge situations for short periods of time. When you hooked up the eco flow battery cables in parallel you essentially now have a dual battery system. The alternator can’t tell the difference between the batteries, thus it will charge the batteries up until fully charged. When this is happening, the vehicle battery is also receiving the high charge thus producing the negative effect of too much heat for the vehicle batteries and alternator. Over the years I have changed dozens of vehicle alternators and batteries due to having one battery being charged up too often , the fix was one alternator and 2 batteries, ouch! Hopefully ecoflow has some sort of setting that would prevent this, otherwise the risk is too high and expensive if you are going to charge through ecoflow from a low state of charge. Can anyone address this ?
There are much better DC-DC chargers in the market than what's reviewed here. For example, both Renogy and Victron have chargers with hardwired voltage sensing options--that is, as soon you turn off the engine, the unit automatically turns off. Renogy units even have current limiting and turn-off options when the engine is on. It seems to me, the Ecoflow is a bit behind given this is their first DC-DC charger.
Glad you spoke up. Hope you get more feedback so we can all benefit
@@ozmanfidaar6311this isn’t a regular DCDC charger. It is 12V to 40-60V so it can charge the Ecoflow. Quite different than a regular DCDC application. Also it is about 65A at 12V output which is higher than any regular DCDC chargers which are normally 25-40A. Renogy has a 60A. You can’t use a regular DCDC without a voltage converter.
It is potentially an issue to draw this much 65A current continuously from an alternator for several hours. I think that is why most DCDC units are lower output. Even the units get hot and this one is smaller than a Redarc, Renogy, Victron or CTEK however this outputs higher voltage 40/60V and lower current which would help with sizing and heat.
Could the six gauge wire be cut to add Anderson connectors if I use this with a pick up truck and a truck camper so I could disconnect it when I take the camper off?
Totally. I don't see why shortening them would not work as long as the Anderson is rated for the amperage the charger needs.
@@Casey250.
I would not necessarily be shortening them because the Ecoflow and charger would be in the truck camper. It would just be a way to be able to disconnect when i take the camper off the truck.
@user-jo4lr8it6p When you order your Anderson connector you can order the correct size contact to go with your wire size. Then 50 amp connectors can be ordered with up to a size 6 AWG contact. The 75 connectors can use 4 AWG contacts. Just double check which connectors work with which contacts. The different color connectors only work with the same color on both ends except for grey and black. Double check that also. Also be careful that the connector description actually says made by Anderson brand because there are lots of connectors that look the same but are not Anderson and may allude to being Anderson..
Car battery system is 12V does not mean you can discharge it all the way up to 12V! it will potentially damage the battery and next time you will try to start the engine it wont start. you will end up having a flat battery. you should never go below 12.6 if its lead acid for other batteries check the specs. Keep it up, Cheers!
12.6 is a full battery bud... Try 12.1-12.2
@@-FOXX that's for lithium not for lead acid battery. However car starter batteries should not go below that level.
Yes please do an update review on the 800W. I hope they go on sale.
Hi. Thank you! How did you run the wire from the vehicle battery to the alternator? I have a 2015 manual JKU and the wire isn't going through the firewall grummet on the passenger side.... and the driver's side one is full.
down the frame and up a hole in the back. I show some of the install in this video th-cam.com/video/GLgsOLTOq-M/w-d-xo.html
Do you think this charger will increase wear on my alternator? Should I upgrade my alternator or limit my use of the charger to protect my alternator? Or do you think I can run this thing as much as I want with no consequences down the road? Thanks.
Depends how close you are to and amps on your alternator I suppose.
do you mind showing how you installed it on your battery? there are multiple connection points
Flow offers bundles for the wave. Some of those bundles offer the extra battery and alternator charger together. It appears they are saying the charger can charge the extra battery on the wave. Even if some manual they offer says it can’t do this.
Maybe needs a firmware update I missed. It did nothing when I plugged it in.
@@Casey250 I think it probably does. Last week it offered the bundle, and said the alternator charger would ship at a later date. Today it offers the bundle and does not mention the charger shipping at a later date. It seems likely they have the update and have not sent it out yet.
@@Casey250 are you impressed by the heat output of the wave?
Awesome.. this will work well with where and how I roll 🤘
The EcoFlow alternator charger is good.
Downside: only works with EcoFlow. Expensive.
Positive: interesting app features to fine tune the charging. Highest charge rate.
Risk: double check your alternator specs. You don’t want to draw too many amps from it. My sailboat only has a 60amp alternator
Does the unit itself have a display and can i engage with all the settings? I ask bc, despite all their wonderfulness, i just don't do phones nor apps. Thanks
No. You really should use the app to manage it
@@Casey250 well that's disheartening. Actually i'm new at all of this. idk which power station i need actually. Is Ecoflow the b*omb or are what are some other big brands i can look at? Got a handy beginners video? Thanks
I like you have had issues seeing the full 800 w charging. I have a 180amp alternator so not sure if that has anything to do with it, but it should be able to put out 60amp with no issues. I as well have a delta 2 Max with the extra battery and at most I get about 530w. I had previously connected up my battery to a 20 amp dc/dc converter and was able to get 430w via the xt-60i port. I'm a little disappointed I'm not getting more. My alternator is capable of outputting 14.8 volts. Idle amperage is 120. When I run without the Ecoflow charger My battery is outputting 14.3 consistently. I tried changing the Alternator Charger to 12v and now I get an over charge error so I have to set it at 13v for the unit to work. I guess I need to call Ecoflow.
Question
I don't see the Delta Max battery listed as compatible, only the Delta 2 Max, can you confirm if the Delta Max battery is compatible since it has the correct connector?
Can I use this to 2013 Toyota corolla? My auto garage guy told me not to use it. He said it will kill my car 😢
Renogy has a 50a dc to dc that does everything this thing does for less money and mine has been working great for over a year
Can you select the type of battery you're charging during "reverse charging"?
vast majority of vehicle alternators (unless HO or dual like on an ambulance, etc) are not designed to charge high cap house batts like this. they're designed to "top-off" your starting battery and maintain the small currents for the vehicle's electrical draw while running. also not at all "normal" for your starter batt to be drained down like yours is; you are greatly reducing the life of you battery when that happens.
With an external power queen battery, two simple XT60(I) cables can charge your EF at 380w. 185w per cable with the newer dual inputs on the EF.
You should be able to use this between battery banks, also!
Is it possible to use the reverse charge feature to charge a 24v battery from the ecoflow gas generator do you think?
I don't know enough on that to help, sorry :(
@Casey250 Thanks for your reply. Could be a interesting "hack" though I reckon.
Thanks for the review; I have been thinking about purchasing one of these for my Toyota Tacoma here in Alaska. I noted that you mentioned the operating temperature to be limited at -20° C. You are the first reviewer to mention these operational limitations. The winters here regularly get way below -4° F/-20° C.. So I’m guessing this is not a great fit for Northern climates?
REDARC BCDC is also only down to like -20C.
Can it be used with a gas/electric hybrid ?
Hi Casey awesome content . Can you also share some insights on how a solar would fit into setup thanks
So what is the black box doing? It is an inverter off the 12v car battery sending what to the eco flow? A corrected sine wave of 12v? 120v?
Nice video thanks. Good run down of this great gear. Definitely please do an update/installed video
For those who want to hook up non ecoflow batteries this the solution 😂
The best thing is. If you have a delta pro. You can hook up the ev charging port to the pro. And install the 4xE cowel. And then charge your pro at any ev charger like a 4xE. As well as using this alternator charger.
Well that's interesting
I’ve tried using e charge with mine and cannot get it to charge anywhere in uk
In a pinch solar charge ecoflow and reverse charge starter battery
I wish this device came out three months ago as that’s when I bought everything using the Victron DC/DC 12/24 volt converter for my EcoFlow Delta 2 Max
You can use them both for 1100w of charging :)
At least the Victron will work with non ecoflow units.. in my opinion, the ecoflow price premium on this is pretty ridiculous considering that all it really brings to the table is higher wattage (~800W vs ~500W) and reverse-charging.
so...if you bought a giant 460AH 12v battery. using the alternator charger, would that make the cheapest larges ext battery?
Yes, but at 800 watts it would take 6 hours to charge just the battery. Your vehicle could overheat and may use a lot of fuel. If you want reasonable fast charging use the ecoflow dual fuel smart generator. Then when your delta gets low it will automatically cycle on keeping your max at full charge. Then the alternator charger can be used to charge your 460 watt battery, a little slower, but much less expensive per charge.
Any ideas if this is compatible with 3.6L with eTorque? My dealer and Ecoflow tech support can’t answer my question!
If it's got a 12v battery I can't see why not.
Do you know if the Bluetti Charger 1 will work with the Ecoflow Delta 2 Max?
Bluetti Charger will work with any power station that accepts solar. The charging speed will be limited to your solar input or a max of 600 watts.
This the third review I’ve seen on this Charger and we are all saying the same thing… a software update is needed for 0.1 interval would be nice.
11.xx to 12.01, 12.02, 12.03,,,
I have several EcoFlow devices but have had issues with them. And reporting the issues to EcoFlow was a non-plus situation. I was told to hold the power button in the off position for 15 seconds then restart to see if that resolved the issue. Problem is I rely on this particular unit to power my lift chair and can no longer rely on it as it has quit several times for no reason. I merely disconnected it and will only use it when there is no other source of power. I can no longer have devices connected all the time while the unit is plugged into grid. What a shame. I had high hopes for EcoFlow, however I've been disappointed. When the unit fails, I cannot get out of my lift chair to plug the chair into grid power and am stuck in the chair. I must phone someone to come and make the changes. EcoFlow didn't seem to be helpful or even concerned that their equipment failed. For me, EcoFlow is not a brand I can recommend any longer. This video reminds me of the way you are handled when you contact them. The channel owner was left without answers and trailed off the video with uncertainty. This is much the way I came to view their products.
You guys do know you can buy a dc to dc charger for a lot less? Hell, you could even run a positive and negative cable and an isolator switch from your chassis battery to the back with an Anderson connector. That would still be less than this proprietary thing.
Quite a few companies sell DC-DC in various configurations, as well as some that will also charge from a solar panel. Not quite an earth shattering device. A generic one will work with any backup battery, smart and regular alternator, etc.
Find me a 60A dc-dc charger for under $200
@@CowsGoMonkey ETaker F1000. Can output 1000 watts. Youre welcome. Right at $200 with a code.
This is better value. PECRON 500W Car Charger DC1242-500 for Cars, RVs, Trucks, etc. $149 Not as fast charging as the ecoflow. There a few videos on YT for this. Pity it is not yet available in Australia.
This is faster than Redarc's fastest chargers
Good review however 11 volts is too low for a flooded AGM battery in just a day it will reduce to critical levels. Also it’s not an alternator charger it’s a battery charger , it has no control of the alternator.. Also if you have a stock alternator charging at full 800 watts with your air and lights on is going to take the alternator out in just months.
Anyone know if this would cause any problems for a 2014 Toyota prius? The charging system is a lot more complicated.
The problem is…… you may need both batteries of a dual battery system between the times you can start your engine and charge the batteries. While some of the ecoflow systems have the capability of two battery terminals. The delta 3 max only has one. So it’s either the charger or the battery not both
Can you just wire a standard battery clamp to a xt60i connector and plug I to the solar input of the Ecoflow?
It should work but still gonna be slow charging at 12v
Yes, but limited to 500 watt PV input on each xt60i inputs (max has 2). A lot of people forget that the delta2 max has a huge advantage with 2- 500watt PV inputs. You can use 1 with solar and 1 plugged in to 12 volt source.
I don’t get it… cant you just plug into your center console or bed 110 outlet off the 400w inverter to charge? Or am I missing something?
Most LFP portable power systems wont charge off a modified sine wave inverter. I don't know every vehicle out there, but in Jeep's that is the problem.
@@Casey250 I watched several of your other videos last night and saw you mentioned this in one.. I was about to send mine back lol. Thank you.
Pecron has this as well and it works with any power station. Charges 500 watts and only cost $135 not $600.
They have a very low 1 star rating. Because they charge your card without having any in stock. Wouldn't try buying from them.
@@nancydavies336 Ok I have bought several power stations and solar panels from them never had any problems. I had a damaged power station by fed ex's delivery idiot. I returned it to pecron and they sent me a new one. No charge to me they paid everything to ship back just like there warranty says.
@@johnmal5975
Interesting. I read the reviews on their sight. They were also out of stock on many items. Perhaps they're having supply issues?.
Is it possible to connect 2 alt chargers to a single Delta 2 Max & have both charging/discharging simultaneously? Thanks
Holy moly thats a lot of charging. I honestly don't have that answer, but my guess is no. Thats a lot of load on the alternator, and a lot of input.
@@Casey250 I plan on connecting the chargers to LFP batts instead of to a car to increase capacity. Have you tried connecting the charger + an expansion battery to the Delta 2 max? Just wondering if both XT150 battery ports can be used simultaneously.
Thanks
Casey, lets see a install. You have a smart charging battery system...lets see where you are going to put the negative cable?
I not saying anything but this should be interesting! Also do you have the standard alternator or the beefy alternator?
Its probably going in the Demonator so thats a whole other world lol.
Did you ever hear back from Ecoflow with regards to it charging at 650W?
Can you use this on the original Eco flow Delta?
I don't believe so.
Just bought mine for $189.00 with free shipping
So I just bought the Wave 2 with the battery and the alternator charger as a package and the alternator charger doesn’t work with the Wave 2 battery? That’s pretty much false advertising in my book. Once they actually send me the alternator charger it looks like I’ll be sending it all back. I don’t have a Delta and don’t have room in my Jeep for one of I want to take the Wave 2. Without the alternator charger the Wave 2 is not going to work for multi-day trips, which was why I bought the package in the first place.
I have a River 2 Pro, but it looks like it won’t charge it either.
Pretty crummy EcoFlow!
I would love for Casey to follow up on this and confirm, it does seem really weird that Ecoflow would sell it as a bundle if they don’t work together. They even advertise it as “1 hour of driving gives 5 hours of cooling”. Casey please test this if possible or contact Ecoflow for further explanation. Thanks!
I dont believe you have anything to worry about. I think where he got mixed up was trying to "run" direct from the charger. you cant run the AC and charge at the same time👍🏽
I'll check it out when I'm back home. I need to see if my wave 2 battery needs a firmware update to recognize it.
I would love to see how you ended up running the wire back into the cab and how you set everything up.
Coming in the next video. Just put it in the Gladiator.
Perfect, I have a Gladiator so I’m going to be taking notes 😂
Great product but poor alternator. It will get very hot. Can you limit the charging speed?
@casey250 - did you hear back from EcoFlow on why the charger wasn’t putting out the full 800 watts the following morning/day? (I went through the comments here looking for that, but didn’t find a post from you about it. Could have missed it.)
They said to ground it to the chassis not batter negative. I did that for the final install on the Demonator and it's been charging at 800w no problem.
@@Casey250 oh, interesting! Glad I asked. Doing my install tomorrow and the instructions make both suggestions- body or battery. Body it is! Appreciate the help, Casey! Thank you. 🙏🙏
My guess is that the ground was not the issue, but rather this was: When he first started the next morning, his chassis battery was significantly depleted. If it continued to charge overnight til it got below 12v before shutting off, YES there would be enough juice to start the engine but it WOULD still be WAY below a full charge. So for a while when running the next morning, the alternator would be pumping heavy juice into the chassis battery, and not have enough uumph left to reach 800w on the EcoFlow. Drive for a while and as the chassis battery recovers, and then if alternator is still up to it, the EcoFlow would then get up to 800w.
I don't know what level of depletion for the chassis battery is "safe" for repeated use. But as some other comments in here have said, repeatedly depleting the chassis battery to an unsafe level will kill it prematurely.
Also, running the alternator to its peak max for extended periods will kill the alternator prematurely.
BOTH problems could be eliminated if the EcoFlow unit could be set to allow tenths in the voltage. Somewhere around 12.5 or 12.6 should be just about right. It will vary some with different batteries and systems, and with the same battery as it ages. For this device to work correctly if using that feature, one really needs to be able to change it as needed, and bump it within tenths of a volt.
@@Casey250 I suspect the problem in that case was not the grounding, but rather how depleted the chassis battery was when you first started the next morning. See what I just said to DuaneForrester. I had FLA House batteries in my RV for a while. Whenever I had over-depleted them during the night, then the next day none of my LFP batteries (including two EcoFlow devices, a Glacier and a River power station) would charge for a while as we drove down the road. The FLA batteries were being replenished, and after an hour or so of driving -- more if we had depleted more of the house batteries capacity -- then it would gradually start adding more charge to the LFP batteries. Just my experience, but it could have been that same situation for you. Especially if now you normally are seeing the 800w again, which you would when your chassis battery is not over-depleted most of the time.
You still can't charge from solar and alternator at the same, and if something brakes then you're out of luck until you can get the whole thing repaired or replaced.
Sure you can.
Once you have to install something like this alternator charger you are basically there with a dual battery system. So not quite sure what the main advantage is.
Great video. Very informative.
Is it only compatible w the eco flow units?!
Do you know what the impact on your alternator would be after prolonged use?
Depends on the vehicle and what your charge rate is. If I'm charging the Ecoflow off my alternator at 14v, 300w, that means I'm pulling around ~20amps. If your vehicle has a smaller alternator like mine (05 GMC canyon with 100amp alternator). That means I'm using almost 1/4 the alternators capability. With the increased strain on the alternator, you will experience faster wear and could shorten the lifespan. I plan on upgrading to a 200-300amp to reduce the stress on the alternator and increase reliability.
@@randythraen216I have dual alternator on my power wagon, 400 amps from the factory, nice to have when winching, great option.
Thanks nice to know details like that
waiting for the next trail run. keep up the good work. until the next trail. out
Any idea why it’s not compatible with the Wave2 batteries?? That would have been my main reason for purchasing this alternator/charger…
I dunno. I thought it was suppose to be. Maybe I missed a firmware update.
It connects to a Delta series power station using the XT90 connector. It cant connect to a River 2 series because they use an XT60 connector. I'm not sure if the Wave2 has a XT90 connector.
As an EcoFlow rep, it might be a good idea to get it running properly and know what it's supposed to do prior to reviewing it. Just sayin'.
Is there a video that can teach me how to route the cable from the car battery to inside the vehicle so I can charge my power station while I’m driving?
That's going to be so far dependant. If look for a video of routing wiring for maybe a stereo amp for your vehicle. For a jeep I'd go down the frame rail and up the drain plug in the passenger footwell.
As of the date of my reply, there are now multiple videos with details about this charger, and at least two of them show the routing of the wiring from battery through a grommet in the firewall, under the door frame (down by the carpet) to the back of the vehicle.
Im curious as to why your poeer station was at 42% at night and then 8% in the morning? Thats a big loss. Is that deviçe sucking juice out of your ecoflow? Im confused here
Cool, but not ~$600 cool - pretty outrageous, actually. This feels like unnecessary proprietary lock-in. The main thing this offers over one of the numerous DC to DC options in the $70-200 range is reverse charging. Victron sells a $130-150 12 to 24V DC to DC converter that can get you 400-500W of charging on a Delta 2.. and it'll work with essentially anything that has a solar charge controller onboard.. at a fraction of the price.
You do not want your battery at 12 volts. Normal resting voltage for a car battery is about 13.2 as the cells are not exactly 2 volts each.
Can you use the wave 2 battery and delta 2 together?
You have to plug the wave into the Delta 2 to run it
Dual battery is way better because you have a reserve when needed with a power inverter after you drain your Eco system. Don't have to wait
i put a lunsun solar panel on the hood. always keeps battery charged and maintained.
I am not happy with my ecoflows - they have had their fair issues that ended in RMAs for me… some simple (non-chinese) battery for around half price hasn’t got any features or app connection but hasn’t broken yet… subjective I know, but objectively happened to me
Always appreciate hearing the stories
I’m upset that when I have my delta 2 battery dc cable hooked up to its extra battery there is no way to attach a dc cable to the wave 2 for more efficient running you must use the ac connection. Ecoflow can’t think of everything I guess.
EcoFlow just needs to have a trigger wire that you connect to a power source that is only on with your cars accessories. That way it will know when the engine is off and stop charging.
Most DCDC Chargers do that now….
A trigger would be perfect. I wonder what the cat5 remote port is capable of.
How fast can it reverse charge a battery and can it reverse charge a lithium / LiPo battery?
Question. I have a delta2 and I’m interested in this for my rig is it possible to hook up the delta 2 extension battery and use this in conjunction? I can’t find anything on line. Thanks!
You can hook 1 expansion battery and the alternator charge at the same time. The Delta 2 has 2 expansion ports available. If your using 2 expansion batteries, you couldn't use the alternator charger.
Wish they just had a 12v trigger for when the vehicle is on like most DC - DC chargers off a fuse tap.